wealbk01-第42章

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parish　where　such　certificated　man　should　come　to　reside；　it　was

further　enacted　by　the　same　statute　that　he　should　gain　no

settlement　there　by　any　means　whatever；　except　either　by　renting

a　tenement　of　ten　pounds　a　year；　or　by　serving　upon　his　own

account　in　an　annual　parish　office　for　one　whole　year；　and

consequently　neither　by　notice；　nor　by　service；　nor　by

apprenticeship；　nor　by　paying　parish　rates。　By　the　12th　of　Queen

Anne；　too；　stat。　1；　c。　18；　it　was　further　enacted　that　neither

the　servants　nor　apprentices　of　such　certificated　man　should　gain

any　settlement　in　the　parish　where　he　resided　under　such

certificate。

　　　　　How　far　this　invention　has　restored　that　free　circulation　of

labour　which　the　preceding　statutes　had　almost　entirely　taken

away；　we　may　learn　from　the　following　very　judicious　observation

of　Doctor　Burn。　〃It　is　obvious；〃　says　he；　〃that　there　are　divers

good　reasons　for　requiring　certificates　with　persons　coming　to

settle　in　any　place；　namely；　that　persons　residing　under　them　can

gain　no　settlement；　neither　by　apprenticeship；　nor　by　service；

nor　by　giving　notice；　nor　by　paying　parish　rates；　that　they　can

settle　neither　apprentices　nor　servants；　that　if　they　become

chargeable；　it　is　certainly　known　whither　to　remove　them；　and　the

parish　shall　be　paid　for　the　removal；　and　for　their　maintenance

in　the　meantime；　and　that　if　they　fall　sick；　and　cannot　be

removed；　the　parish　which　gave　the　certificate　must　maintain

them：　none　of　all　which　can　be　without　a　certificate。　Which

reasons　will　hold　proportionably　for　parishes　not　granting

certificates　in　ordinary　cases；　for　it　is　far　more　than　an　equal

chance；　but　that　they　will　have　the　certificated　persons　again；

and　in　a　worse　condition。〃　The　moral　of　this　observation　seems　to

be　that　certificates　ought　always　to　be　required　by　the　parish

where　any　poor　man　comes　to　reside；　and　that　they　ought　very

seldom　to　be　granted　by　that　which　he　proposes　to　leave。　〃There

is　somewhat　of　hardship　in　this　matter　of　certificates；〃　says　the

same　very　intelligent　author　in　his　History　of　the　Poor　Laws；　〃by

putting　it　in　the　power　of　a　parish　officer　to　imprison　a　man　as

it　were　for　life；　however　inconvenient　it　may　be　for　him　to

continue　at　that　place　where　he　has　had　the　misfortune　to　acquire

what　is　called　a　settlement；　or　whatever　advantage　he　may　propose

to　himself　by　living　elsewhere。〃

　　　　　Though　a　certificate　carries　along　with　it　no　testimonial　of

good　behaviour；　and　certifies　nothing　but　that　the　person　belongs

to　the　parish　to　which　he　really　does　belong；　it　is　altogether

discretionary　in　the　parish　officers　either　to　grant　or　to　refuse

it。　A　mandamus　was　once　moved　for；　says　Doctor　Burn；　to　compel

the　churchwardens　and　overseers　to　sign　a　certificate；　but　the

court　of　King's　Bench　rejected　the　motion　as　a　very　strange

attempt。

　　　　　The　very　unequal　price　of　labour　which　we　frequently　find　in

England　in　places　at　no　great　distance　from　one　another　is

probably　owing　to　the　obstruction　which　the　law　of　settlements

gives　to　a　poor　man　who　would　carry　his　industry　from　one　parish

to　another　without　a　certificate。　A　single　man；　indeed；　who　is

healthy　and　industrious；　may　sometimes　reside　by　sufferance

without　one；　but　a　man　with　a　wife　and　family　who　should　attempt

to　do　so　would　in　most　parishes　be　sure　of　being　removed；　and　if

the　single　man　should　afterwards　marry；　he　would　generally　be

removed　likewise。　The　scarcity　of　hands　in　one　parish；　therefore；

cannot　always　be　relieved　by　their　superabundance　in　another；　as

it　is　constantly　in　Scotland；　and；　I　believe；　in　all　other

countries　where　there　is　no　difficulty　of　settlement。　In　such

countries；　though　wages　may　sometimes　rise　a　little　in　the

neighbourhood　of　a　great　town；　or　wherever　else　there　is　an

extraordinary　demand　for　labour；　and　sink　gradually　as　the

distance　from　such　places　increases；　till　they　fall　back　to　the

common　rate　of　the　country；　yet　we　never　meet　with　those　sudden

and　unaccountable　differences　in　the　wages　of　neighbouring　places

which　we　sometimes　find　in　England；　where　it　is　often　more

difficult　for　a　poor　man　to　pass　the　artificial　boundary　of　a

parish　than　an　arm　of　the　sea　or　a　ridge　of　high　mountains；

natural　boundaries　which　sometimes　separate　very　distinctly

different　rates　of　wages　in　other　countries。

　　　　　To　remove　a　man　who　has　committed　no　misdemeanour　from　the

parish　where　he　chooses　to　reside　is　an　evident　violation　of

natural　liberty　and　justice。　The　common　people　of　England；

however；　so　jealous　of　their　liberty；　but　like　the　common　people

of　most　other　countries　never　rightly　understanding　wherein　it

consists；　have　now　for　more　than　a　century　together　suffered

themselves　to　be　exposed　to　this　oppression　without　a　remedy。

Though　men　of　reflection；　too；　have　sometimes　complained　of　the

law　of　settlements　as　a　public　grievance；　yet　it　has　never　been

the　object　of　any　general　popular　clamour；　such　as　that　against

general　warrants；　an　abusive　practice　undoubtedly；　but　such　a　one

as　was　not　likely　to　occasion　any　general　oppression。　There　is

scarce　a　poor　man　in　England　of　forty　years　of　age；　I　will

venture　to　say；　who　has　not　in　some　part　of　his　life　felt　himself

most　cruelly　oppressed　by　this　illcontrived　law　of　settlements。

　　　　　I　shall　conclude　this　long　chapter　with　observing　that；

though　anciently　it　was　usual　to　rate　wages；　first　by　general

laws　extending　over　the　whole　kingdom；　and　afterwards　by

particular　orders　of　the　justices　of　peace　in　every　particular

county；　both　these　practices　have　now　gone　entirely　into　disuse。

〃By　the　experience　of　above　four　hundred　years；〃　says　Doctor

Burn；　〃it　seems　time　to　lay　aside　all　endeavours　to　bring　under

strict　regulations；　what　in　its　own　nature　seems　incapable　of

minute　limitation；　for　if　all　persons　in　the　same　kind　of　work

were　to　receive　equal　wages；　there　would　be　no　emulation；　and　no

room　left　for　industry　or　ingenuity。〃

　　　　　Particular　Acts　of　Parliament；　however；　still　attempt

sometimes　to　regulate　wages　in　particular　trades　and　in

particular　places。　Thus　the　8th　of　George　III　prohibits　under

heavy　penalties　all　master　tailors　in　London；　and　five　miles

round　it；　from　giving；　and　their　workmen　from　accepting；　more

than　two　shillings　and　sevenpence　halfpenny　a　day；　except　in　the

case　of　a　general　mourning。　Whenever　the　legislature　attempts　to

regulate　the　differences　between　masters　and　their　workmen；　its

counsellors　are　always　the　masters。　When　the　regulation；

therefore；　is　in　favour　of　the　workmen；　it　is　always　just　and

equitable；　but　it　is　sometimes　otherwise　when　in　favour　of　the

masters。　Thus　the　law　which　obliges　the　masters　in　several

different　trades　to　pay　their　workmen　in　money　and　not　in　goods

is　quite　just　and　equitable。　It　imposes　no　real　hardship　upon　the

masters。　It　only　obliges　them　to　pay　that　value　in　money；　which

they　pretended　to　pay；　but　did　not　always　really　pay；　in　goods。

This　law　is　in　favour　of　the　workmen：　but　the　8th　of　George　III

is　in　favour　of　the　masters。　When　masters　combine　together　in

order　to　reduce　the　wages　of　their　workmen；　they　commonly　enter

into　a　private　bond　or　agreement　not　to　give　more　than　a　certain

wage　under　a　certain　penalty。　Were　the　workmen　to　enter　into　a

contrary　combination　of　the　same　kind；　not　to　accept　of　a　certain

wage　under　a　certain　penalty；　the　law　would　punish　them　very

severely；　and　if　it　dealt　impartially；　it　would　treat　the　masters

in　the　same　manner。　But　the　8th　of　George　III　enforces　by　law

that　very　regulation　which　masters　sometimes　attempt　to　establish

by　such　combinations。　The　complaint　of　the　workmen；　that　it　puts

the　ablest　and　most　industrious　upon　the　same　footing　with　an

ordinary　workman；　seems　perfectly　well　founded。

　　　　　In　ancient　times；　too；　it　was　usual　to　attempt　to　regulate

the　profits　of　merchants　and　other　dealers；　by　rating　the　price

both　of　provisions　and　other　goods。　The　assize　of　bread